Despite Plea Water Usage Didn't Drop

SIOUX FALLS, SD -
Earlier this week, the mayor thanked Sioux Falls residents for cutting back on water usage over the past two days. But judging by the numbers, residents apparently didn't listen.

The mayor had asked people on the city's west side to cut back on things like laundry, toilet flushing and showering. They were critical changes needed to slow the flow of water through the sewer system, which had been overtaxed by recent flooding.

The mayor says it helped avert a major disaster for the city.

But According to figures provided by the City Water Reclamation Plant, the day before the sewer line break, Sioux Falls residents used nearly 21 million gallons of water.

On Wednesday, when Mayor Mike Huether declared an emergency and asked people on the west side of the city to cut back on water usage to save homes and businesses in north central Sioux Falls from backup sewage, people still used 19 and half million gallons. 3.7 million of that came from the west side of town, the same amount that they used the day before the break.

Thursday when the mayor asked people to continue restricting water use and stop watering their lawns, the city still used more than 20 million gallons. 4 million of that came from the west side, an increase from the day of the break.